Author: pastorpete51

He Giveth

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 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV

If anyone knows about weakness, it is the residents of nursing home and assisted living facilities. Our weekly conversations and prayer requests are filled with the news of some dear one in the hospital again, or recovering from a fall, or mourning the passing of a roommate. Maybe that is why they identify so well with this wonderful old hymn. When Annie Johnson Flint composed the lyrics, she was suffering from a severe form of arthritis which she began to experience in her early twenties and worsened throughout her life. Yet in spite of Annie’s suffering, her struggles lead her to trust more and more deeply on the grace and power of God and to write for us these timeless words:

"When we've reached the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father's full giving has only begun
His love has no limit
His grace has no measure
His power has no boundaries
Known unto men
So out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth and giveth and giveth again!"

Where are you this morning: not geographically, but spiritually and emotionally? Have the difficulties in your life driven you to despair, loneliness, isolation and confusion? Have you, as Annie Johnson Flint did, reached the end of your hoarded resources? The healing news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that His suffering in our place on the cross, qualifies and empowers Him and only Him, to become the source of hope and salvation for us. No matter how far from God we feel at this very moment, the Bible tells us that, “By HIs wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5). And from those fatal wounds of our dear Savior, flowed the blood that bought and redeemed us. Today, right at this very moment, if we will humbly come to Him in faith and repentance, He will receive us, fill us, and give us His unmeasurable grace, limitless love and mighty mercy. What a hope we have because of He gave His life for lost sheep, lost children, and lost sinners just like you and me!

Filled With Messages From Thee

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 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV

Someone once asked, “Why do we write?” But instead of “why,” perhaps that their real question was rather, “Why should we write?” Now that is a great question, and it has a variety of good answers, because it all depends on who we intend for our audience to be. For example, if I were I to make a diary entry, my hope would be that no one but myself would ever see it. On the other hand, should I be putting together a report for a property manager on what steps would be needed to get a home ready for rental, my proper audience would grow by at least one. As Christian writers, sometimes we are tempted to think that our sole obligation is to write for God. But if we would be honest, most of us also want someone besides Jesus to read what we have put on a page. Perhaps the best answer lies within the words of the hymn Frances Havergal wrote titled, “Take My Life and Let it Be.” In her challenging lyrics, she tells us that her moments, her days, and even her hands, and feet, as well as her will and wealth are all meant to be her offering to God. As writers we would do well to notice her third verse’s ending couplet:

“Take my lips and let them be 
Filled with messages from Thee”

As Frances Havergal notes, our messages are not just for God, they should also be from Him and for others. As writers, connecting our audiences to God is our unique and urgent calling. So, let’s shed false modesty about only writing for an audience of one. Jesus hasn’t called us to write only for Him, rather to connect with as many precious people as possible to tell them of the riches of the glories of our God and King!

Don’t Give Up!

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And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 
Galatians 6:9 ESV

Returning to Life Care Center, to sing for the folks yesterday was a wonderful experience. It was also an amazing blessing to know that this year, in my absence several other people stepped in to keep the services going. It reminded me of lessons that I had taught but rarely experienced that nursing home ministry must not be a solo effort. Instead, as a church we are supposed to be “Team Jesus” and His work, and His message should be advanced even when one teammate has to sit on the bench for a while.

Teamwork makes the dream work, as they say, but mustering a team, has not been a quick process. Connecting our nursing home outreach to the leadership in our churches is essential if we are to make any serious progress. Years ago, we attended a large church that took nursing home ministry so seriously that they put together four or five teams of us and sent us all around our city to conduct services during Sunday School hour.

Sadly, that experience was not what we have seen elsewhere. Over the years, I have found that few churches are interested in investing time and resources in nursing home ministry. But if this is also your situation, don’t give up on your church. It will take a concerted effort, without getting discouraged or bitter to attract the leadership’s attention. Remember that they may already be overwhelmed with so many other tasks that it is hard for them to see the importance of serving nursing home residents. Yet in the Bible it is clear that God cares especially for widows and orphans, and He calls you and me to care for them. There is no one simple formula, no recipe or secret key, to getting more people involved, just be lovingly persistent. Don’t faint, because as you keep serving with all your heart, God has promised that there is a wonderful harvest of souls, precious to Jesus, who are just waiting to be reached within nursing homes and assisted living facilities all over our nation!